Daily Trust Editorial, January 19, 2026
What is unfolding in Rivers State has become one of the most unfortunate and saddening chapters in Nigeria’s recent political history. For more than two years since the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara came on board, a state that occupies a strategic place in the nation’s political and economic life has appeared locked in a cycle of self-destruction. Rather than serving as a centre for governance and development, Rivers has increasingly become a theatre of political brinkmanship, driven largely by the actions and ambitions of its political elite.
No one disputes the fact that impeachment is a constitutional provision. Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly spells out the process by which a governor or deputy governor may be removed from office for gross misconduct. It is intended as a safeguard, a last-resort mechanism to protect the public interest and uphold accountability in governance. However, what has played out in Rivers State suggests a troubling departure from this constitutional ideal. Instead of serving as a tool for accountability, impeachment appears to have been reduced to a political weapon, casually brandished to settle scores, intimidate opponents, and prosecute vendettas.
This development represents a profound abuse of the mandates freely given by the people of Rivers State. The governor was elected to govern; the members of the House of Assembly were elected to make laws and provide oversight, all in the interest of the people. These mandates were never meant to be converted into instruments for an endless supremacy battle that serves little purpose beyond self-glorification and personal aggrandisement. Governance cannot thrive where political actors are permanently at war with one another.
It is, therefore, a complete abdication of responsibility for impeachment to be dangled carelessly, twice already, within a single term that has not even reached its third year. This recklessness is all the more disturbing given the consequences of the previous attempt, which culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency and the suspension of the governor, his deputy, and the House of Assembly for six months. If any lesson was to be learnt from that inglorious episode, it should have been the danger of pushing political conflicts beyond the bounds of reason. Regrettably, current developments suggest that little or nothing has been learnt at all.
All the actors involved in this crisis must, therefore, take a step back and reflect. This includes the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to whom members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are widely believed to be beholden. Personal loyalties, political rivalries, and past grievances must give way to a higher responsibility: putting the interests of the people of Rivers State first. No individual or group is bigger than the state.
In this regard, Daily Trust welcomes and supports the peace and reconciliation committee set up by the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) to help resolve the crisis. Early reports that the committee is making headway are encouraging. However, dialogue can only succeed if all parties approach it in good faith, with a genuine commitment to a lasting and permanent resolution, not merely a tactical pause in hostilities.
We are not unmindful of previous interventions, including two attempts by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Yet, there remains a widespread concern across the country that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not acted decisively enough to bring this crisis to an end. This concern is anchored on the perception that one of his key appointees, the FCT minister, is a major actor in the dispute. Many believe that as long as the president does not rein in this influence, his interventions may be seen as merely playing to the gallery. Politics must never be reduced to election arithmetic and scheming, especially when the stability of an entire state is at stake.
The persistent threat of impeachment and the tension it generates are unnecessary and damaging. Rivers State deserves better than perpetual political warfare.
Members of the House of Assembly must, therefore, stop weaponising impeachment, while the governor must also demonstrate a willingness to work harmoniously with the legislature within the ambits of the law. Democracy demands cooperation, compromise, and respect for institutions. None of these virtues is served by brinkmanship.
Now that the key actors are largely aligned under the same political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the president has even greater moral authority, as leader of the party, to convene all sides and broker a genuine political settlement. Such a solution must protect the integrity of legal and constitutional provisions and prevent them from becoming objects of ridicule. Above all, it must cool the polity rather than heat it up.
Impeachment should never become a political weapon. When it does, democracy itself becomes the casualty.